The revenues of Al-Ahsa’s first date festival were “gratifying, as the increased prices benefited the farmers who have suffered losses for several years,” said an official. The prices during the festival were 100% higher than in recent years.
Fahd bin Mohammad Al-Jubair, the mayor of Al-Ahsa and vice chairman of the festival’s organizing committee, said some brokers and date traders controlled the supply in markets. This caused acute declines in date prices, which influenced the farmers’ revenues.
“Thanks to the festival, farmers were assisted in preserving the country’s most important agricultural product,” he said.
Al-Ahsa Gov. Prince Badr bin Mohammad bin Jluwi ordered the festival and the mayor’s office organized it, in partnership with the Tourism Development Council.
Al-Jubair said the thorough organization and quality control in the event was a sign for farmers to exhibit their best products and for traders not to manipulate the prices. High quality dates at reasonable prices were a result of this. “Higher prices will benefit farmers and the economy and help sustain the cultivation and production of palm trees in the country.”
Al-Ahsa mayor’s office undersecretary and chairman of the festival’s executive committee, Abdullah bin Muhammad Al-Arfaj, said date and palm tree cultivation “is back on the right track.” Some 240 kg of Khalas dates used to be sold for SR 400. This year they went for no less than SR 750, he said.
A number of traders said they did not expect the revenue increases in the first year of the festival.
Many traders came from other Saudi regions and from GCC countries. Abdullah Al-Hajri, date trader from Kuwait, said that those in charge of the event made sure to avoid the disorder that often occurred in the date market in the past. Al-Hajri buys dates from Al-Ahsa markets ever year and called for the festival to continue throughout the year.
The festival’s Quality Control Committee said it had seized quantities of unfit date products last Wednesday and Thursday. It said that it is monitoring the products that enter the festival (market) to prevent fraud.
Badr bin Fahd Al-Shihab, director of the festival’s auction and head of the events committee, said Thursday’s sales amounted to more than SR 4, 856,000. A kilo of Khalas dates reached SR 21 — after being sold for SR 4 in recent years. So far the festival received 553 vehicles loaded with dates, he said.
Festival at Al-Ahsa boosts date prices
Festival at Al-Ahsa boosts date prices
Experimental farm in Al-Lith looks into future of Saudi Arabian agriculture
- Research initiative reflects strategic transformation
JEDDAH: An experimental farm in Saudi Arabia’s Al-Lith Governorate is one of the research initiatives reflecting the strategic transformation taking place in the Kingdom’s agricultural sector.
The farm uses highly efficient, sustainable production models that combine scientific research with commercial application, contributing to strengthening the country’s food security system and the sustainability of water resources.
Located in the Ghumaiqa Center on an area of about 10 hectares, the cutting-edge farm is a testing platform for modern agricultural technologies that tackle the challenge of water scarcity.
The farm includes developed open fields and modern greenhouses, supported by smart irrigation encompassing drip and sprinkler irrigation alongside surface and subsurface technologies.
All the systems operate via smart controls that enable the monitoring of water consumption and ensure improved efficiency, thereby achieving a balance between agricultural production and water conservation.
The farm also uses treated and diluted low-salinity seawater.
It aims to diversify agricultural water sources, reduce reliance on freshwater, and open new horizons for agriculture in coastal and semi-arid environments.
The project represents a promising investment opportunity in the field of smart agriculture, enabling the development of commercially scalable production models, particularly for high-value vegetables and fruits, while reducing operational costs associated with water and energy, enhancing the economic feasibility of future agricultural projects.
In addition, the project contributes to transferring and localizing agricultural expertise, supporting local food supply chains, and creating an attractive environment for agricultural investment.
This aligns with Sustainable Development Goals and enhances the efficiency of the private sector in adopting innovative agricultural solutions.
Yahya bin Abdulrahman Al-Mahabi, the director of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture office in Al-Lith Governorate, told the Saudi Press Agency that the project represented the future of agriculture in the Kingdom.
He explained that the vision was based on investing in technology, enhancing the return on water per unit, and integrating scientific research with investment opportunities.
Al-Mahabi spoke of the experimental farm as a modern, scalable and replicable model applicable in several regions of the Kingdom, particularly in coastal environments.
Al-Mahabi highlighted the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture’s commitment to supporting distinctive projects that contributed to achieving food security while developing rural areas and enhancing agricultural production efficiency, in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
